Hawai'i

Kauhale Project

Groundbreaking

Join us on Saturday, October 3, as we break ground on the next chapter of our Hawaiian Village—a living kauhale where traditional agriculture, native plants, and mālama ʻāina come together to honor the past and inspire generations to come.

Watch · The Kauhale Project

A New Chapter for the Hawaiian Village

In old Hawaiʻi, the kauhale was the heart of family life—a cluster of hale, each with its own purpose, where generations lived, worked, and cared for the ʻāina together.

The Hawaiʻi Kauhale Project carries that legacy forward. As we expand our Hawaiian Village, we’re bringing traditional agriculture, native plants, and mālama ʻāina to life for every guest. Watch the story behind the project, then join us as we break ground on Saturday, October 3.

See the groundbreaking schedule

The Hawaiʻi Kauhale Project · Polynesian Cultural Center

Schedule of Events

Saturday, October 3

  1. 9:30 amArrival and check in at the Hukilau Marketplace (Nona’s Store)
  2. 9:45 amBoard canoes at Hema Landing (close to the Islands entrance)
    Canoe up to Hawaiʻi Village
  3. 10:00 amKauhale groundbreaking ceremony
  4. 11:00 amRefreshments
  5. 12:00 pmPau
Historic photo of a Hawaiian village with thatched hale along a dirt road

Honoring the past,
Looking to the future

As we expand the Hawaiian Village, we are committed to creating a place that reflects the deep Hawaiian relationship with ʻāina—the land that sustains us. Sustainability is an expression of mālama ʻāina, caring for the land and resources while honoring the wisdom of those who came before us and protecting them for generations to come. Through traditional agricultural practices, native plants, responsible use of water and resources, and the renewal of the land, the expanded village will demonstrate how cultural knowledge and modern stewardship can work together. We hope to inspire our guests to consider their own kuleana, or responsibility, to care for the world around them.

By learning from the past and caring for the present, we can help create a more sustainable future for our ʻāina, our culture, and generations yet to come.